The study found that 46% of women were initially referred for tests for another issue, while 41% had to visit their doctor at least three times before being tested for cancer.

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Cancer of the ovaries is notoriously difficult to recognise because of a lack of awareness of the symptoms.

'Women continue to face repeat visits to their GP before being referred for diagnostic tests and many GPs still falsely believe symptoms only present themselves in the later stages of the disease and continue to be unaware of the importance of family history on both sides of the family,' the charity wrote in its report.

Every year, over 7,000 British women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, while over 4,000 die from the disease.

While ovarian cancer can be difficult to recognise, particularly in the early stages, the NHS lists the following symptoms to watch out for:

Other symptoms to be wary of include back pain, needing to pass urine more frequently than usual, and pain during sex. While these signs may be the result of other conditions in the pelvic area, they can also be present in some women with ovarian cancer.

The NHS adds: 'If you have these types of symptoms, try keeping a diary to record how many of these symptoms you have over a longer period. Bear in mind that ovarian cancer is rare in women under 40 years of age.'

Visit your GP if you have any of these symptoms regularly and, if they continue or worsen, go back and explain this to your doctor.